This invention relates to an electrical terminal member and more particularly to an electrical terminal member which allows for the selective creation of electrical circuits employing a wide variety of conductors and electrical signals.
Electrical terminal members allow for the selective formation of electrical circuits by physically receiving a plurality of electrical conductors and by physically and communicatively coupling some or all of the received electrical conductors in a certain and desired manner. Typically each of these conductors are contained within an insulative cover or sheath. These terminal members typically include a single row or xe2x80x9clevelxe2x80x9d of insulation displacement portions which each selectively receive such a conductor, which remove a portion of the sheath of the received conductor, and which concomitantly contact the respectively exposed conductor, thereby creating an electrical connection. Hence, these electrical terminal members respectively provide several paths through which electrical current or signals may flow or be communicated by and between the attached conductors, thereby creating electrical circuits.
These terminal members or xe2x80x9cterminal stripsxe2x80x9d are becoming increasingly prevalent in many assemblies and apparatuses, such as in vehicles, due to the proliferation in the use of many diverse types of electronic components within vehicles and within a wide variety of other types of apparatuses and assemblies. The widespread use of this relatively wide variety of electrical components has increased the use of many diverse types of electrical signals and has increased the need to adequately distribute electrical power within an assembly or apparatus in order to ensure that the contained electrical components continue to properly operate.
While these prior terminal members or xe2x80x9cterminal stripsxe2x80x9d do allow for the selective creation of multiple types of circuits by integrally forming and/or providing one row or xe2x80x9clevelxe2x80x9d of insulation displacement portions, they suffer from some drawbacks. That is, many of these prior terminal members do not adequately allow for the concomitant and relatively efficient creation of electrical circuits having respectively diverse types of electrical current or signals and, more particularly, do not adequately allow for the reception and distribution of electrical power to all of the various contained components. These prior terminal members also do not readily allow for the addition and/or creation of circuits, especially electrical power type circuits, by and between existing terminal assemblies and/or between terminals which have been previously installed upon a circuit board and/or assembly.
There is therefore a need for an electrical terminal member which allows for the creation of diverse types of electrical circuits, which allows for the relatively efficient reception and distribution of electrical power to electrical components, and which allows electrical circuits, such as electrical power circuits, to be easily formed and/or constructed by use of terminal members which have been previously installed within an assembly and/or circuit board.
It is a first object of the present invention to provide an electrical terminal member which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks associated with prior electrical terminal members.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide an electrical terminal member which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks associated with prior electrical terminal members and which, by way of example and without limitation, allows for the efficient distribution of electrical power to various components.
It is a third object of the present invention to provide an electrical terminal member which overcomes some or all of the previously delineate drawbacks associated with prior electrical terminal members and which allows for the selective creation of diverse types of electrical circuits.
It is a fourth object of the present invention to provide an electrical terminal member having multiple levels of insulation displacement portions, effective to allow an electrical circuit to be formed by use of the electrical terminal member even when the electrical terminal member has been inserted within a circuit board or other electrical assembly and/or even when portions of the electrical terminal member are inaccessible.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a terminal member is provided. The terminal member comprises a relatively wide terminal body which integrally forms a blade portion having a slotted insulation displacement aperture which has a longitudinal axis of symmetry which is perpendicular to the terminal body.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a terminal member having multiple insulation displacement levels is provided.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and by reference to the following drawings.